Kathy Bates

Stories

“Matlock” transforms into an essential pleasure

Strange things happened in our living rooms during the pandemic.
“Everyone was back on the couch, watching television and film,” Skye Marshall told the Television Critics Association. “And for the very first time as an actor, I felt like an essential worker.”
And strange things happened in TV offices, as people scrambled for new ideas … or, preferably, new old ideas. That’s sort of what sparked “Matlock” (shown here with Jason Ritter, Kathy Bates and Marshall) which is — like its title character — deceptively brilliant. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / September 20, 2024
News and Quick Comments

A surprise: Older crimesolvers are welcome again

Right now, TV is going back to its future.
That’s almost 30 years back. That span connects “Murder, She Wrote” to “Elsbeth,” “Matlock” to … well, “Matlock.”
At the core is a key change: Broadcast networks were once ignoring older viewers; now they need them. Let’s go back to 1995, when:
— “Matlock” was canceled – again. NBC had dumped it after seven seasons; ABC took three more, then dropped it.
— “Murder She Wrote” was still thriving. In its 11th season, it was No. 8 in the Nielsen ratings; it reached the top-10 in seven other seasons, peaking at No. 4. But CBS moved it to an impossible timeslot, then cancelled it a year later. Read more…

By Mike Hughes / July 9, 2024